Blessed Giuseppe Allamano, February 16

Roman Martyrology: In Turin, Blessed Giuseppe Allamano, a priest, who, led by tireless zeal, founded two congregations of the Consolata Missions, one male and one female, to spread the faith.

He was the contemporary of two fellow saints: Don Bosco, who was a student at Turin, and Joseph Cafasso, who is also his maternal uncle. Ordained a priest in Turin in at 22, he graduated in theology at 23, was spiritual director of the seminary at 25, at 29 he became rector of the sanctuary becomes more expensive to Turin (the “Consolata”) and the Children’s Church for neosacerdoti. But the sanctuary is to reorganize and restore the Convitto is very serious crisis. With hard work that never ceased, he revitalized the sanctuary, and the Convitto flourish, as when he was taught by Cafasso.

Like Cafasso, he was an exceptional character trainer, teacher of doctrine and life. He saw out of the seminars many priests eager to become missionaries, but hampered by the diocese, who willingly gave offerings to the missions, but not men. He decides the missionaries if they will do it. He built a special school, though he had already worked a lot. His design was appreciated in Rome, but then the setbacks and obstacles blocked his mission, for ten years. Patiently, he waited and worked. Then came the first “yes” to the bishop of his Institute of Consolata Missionaries in 1901, and a year later to Kenya went the first shipment of priests. Eight years later born Consolata Missionary Sisters.

He felt, however, that on Evangelization one must shake the entire Church. And in 1912, with the support of other heads of missionary institutions, Pius X complained about the ignorance of the faithful on the mission, the numbness spread to the hierarchy. He asked the Pope to speak against this and in particular proposed to establish an annual mission day, “with an obligation to preach about the duty and the ways to propagate the faith.” Disclaiming the forces of Pius X, the war breaks out in the Balkans … The audacious proposal falls.

But not forever: Pius XI realized the idea of Joseph Allamano, establishing in 1927 the World Mission Day. He was already dead, but the idea has developed legs. And others will walk on, like its missionaries (over two thousand at the end of the twentieth century, in 25 countries of four continents). From live to criticizing him (and his invaluable deputy, the theologian James Camisassa) to think too much work “material” to cure most of the teaching professions that statistics of baptisms triumphal.
He was, in fact: the Gospel and human promotion, pursued with passion and ability. “Doing good well “: was another motto. He wanted profane scientists. And this walk up to Vatican II, theologians said that the “work with people who excel in the sciences, bringing together their forces and their points of view” (Gaudium et Spes). And he, Joseph Allamano, who since October 7, 1990 will be blessed again to his Bible: “The priest is ignorant idol of sadness and bitterness for the wrath of God and the desolation of the people.”

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